Cost of Living Comparison Between Honiara and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Honiara and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,718 per month in Honiara vs $1,253 in Phuket, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,864 per month in Honiara vs $2,043 in Phuket, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,010 per month in Honiara vs $2,833 in Phuket, rent included.

Honiara costs about 37% more than Phuket, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Honiara sits 25% above the global median, while Phuket is 9% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.93 SBD 55.4

$4.56 ฿151

51.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.4 SBD 498

$32.62 ฿1,082

91.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.50 SBD 99.8

$8.90 ฿295

40.45%

Cappuccino

$3.52 SBD 28.12

$2.80 ฿93.0

25.71%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 SBD 12.74

$0.88 ฿29.19

81.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 SBD 8.86

$0.49 ฿16.23

126.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.47 SBD 19.76

$2.39 ฿79.2

3.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.50 SBD 43.94

$3.71 ฿123

48.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.58 SBD 20.61

$1.79 ฿59.3

44.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.54 SBD 12.31

$1.44 ฿47.81

6.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.66 SBD 13.28

$1.58 ฿52.6

5.06%

Eggs

$5.59 SBD 44.63

$2.13 ฿70.5

162.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.39 SBD 51.0

$19.92 ฿661

-67.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.41 SBD 67.1

$3.43 ฿114

145.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.00 SBD 120

$11.33 ฿376

32.39%

Apples (1kg)

$6.20 SBD 49.54

$2.95 ฿97.8

110.17%

Banana (1kg)

$2.57 SBD 20.53

$1.72 ฿57.1

49.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.80 SBD 70.3

$2.32 ฿77.1

279.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.76 SBD 30.05

$2.08 ฿69.0

80.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 SBD 15.37

$1.47 ฿48.77

31.29%

Onion (1kg)

$3.53 SBD 28.20

$1.36 ฿45.05

159.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.43 SBD 11.40

$1.10 ฿36.45

30.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 SBD 8.21

$0.57 ฿19.06

80.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 SBD 32.74

$4.27 ฿142

-3.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.51 SBD 84.0

$18.42 ฿611

-42.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 SBD 14.26

$1.87 ฿62.1

-4.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 SBD 28.12

$2.92 ฿96.9

20.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 SBD 3.08

$2.22 ฿73.6

-82.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.79 SBD 198

$22.90 ฿759

8.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 SBD 10.18

$3.03 ฿101

-57.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.22 SBD 9.71

$1.07 ฿35.63

14.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.48 SBD 99.7

$3.93 ฿130

217.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 SBD 10.31

$1.49 ฿49.49

-13.42%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$18.8K SBD 150.2K

$27.1K ฿899.8K

-30.64%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$35.1K SBD 280.3K

$27.5K ฿910.6K

27.86%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$444 SBD 3,544

$103 ฿3,410

331.81%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$27.88 SBD 223

$10.99 ฿365

153.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$91.0 SBD 727

$17.51 ฿581

419.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.67 SBD 293

$53.5 ฿1,776

-31.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.90 SBD 71.1

$11.20 ฿371

-20.54%

Cinema Ticket

$4.42 SBD 35.26

$7.48 ฿248

-40.91%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$98.5 SBD 786

$557 ฿18.5K

-82.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,849 SBD 22.7K

$11.9K ฿393.2K

-75.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.89 SBD 215

$64.1 ฿2,125

-58.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$92.2 SBD 737

$29.07 ฿964

217.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 SBD 790

$96.0 ฿3,183

3.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 SBD 834

$90.3 ฿2,997

15.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$902 SBD 7,201

$730 ฿24.2K

23.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$440 SBD 3,515

$500 ฿16.6K

-11.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,882 SBD 15.0K

$2,090 ฿69.3K

-9.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,400 SBD 11.2K

$1,209 ฿40.1K

15.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$87.4K SBD 697.6K

$3,596 ฿119.3K

2329.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$62.8K SBD 501.1K

$2,512 ฿83.3K

2397.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$716 SBD 5,714

$503 ฿16.7K

42.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

15.67

5.57

181.33%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Honiara: August 30, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $902 in Honiara versus $730 in Phuket. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 42% higher in Honiara, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62.0 in Honiara versus $33.00 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $345 vs $273 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Honiara vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,718 in Honiara, $1,253 in Phuket – roughly 37% apart. Honiara costs more across the board, with Monthly Utilities & Internet showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,577 per month in Honiara and $1,880 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Phuket, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 26% more in Honiara, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62.0 in Honiara and $33.00 in Phuket. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,253, than in Honiara at $1,718. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Honiara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,253 in Phuket to $1,718 in Honiara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Phuket. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Honiara makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.